But back to the scandal du jour. While textile mills often re-ciruclate prints after a designers' one year exclusive has expired, de la Renta claims the design in question was his own, not the mill's, thus according to de la Renta, the mill had no right to re-sell it.

The mill's owner, Francesco Gentili countered by pointing out that his contract with de la Renta applies the limited, one-year exclusive contract on fabrics to one year, whether they are produced in-house or by the designer. The designer also cited certain cuts on items that he feels too closely mirror his own pieces.

The pictures show that yes, the prints are nearly identical, and perhaps the silhouettes too, but until contracts are reviewed, whether it's actually copyright infringement remains to be seen.